


Spend Your Days So They All Add Up

by Gamzee_Makaraoni



Series: Aradia Week 2016 [2]
Category: Gravity Falls, Homestuck
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cross-Generational Friendship, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8391709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamzee_Makaraoni/pseuds/Gamzee_Makaraoni
Summary: Gravity Falls was the obvious place to study paranormal activity, since it seemed to attract it like a magnet. That was why Ford had moved there. He was hoping to document cases of supernatural activity and write about them. Yet, as much as he had hoped for proof of something out there, he hadn't expected it in the form of an alien baby.-(Written for Aradia Week Day 4: AU)





	

Ford took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and settled them back on his face. The pit in his yard was still there.

Just half an hour ago, he had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the meteor that was meant to pass by Gravity Falls. He had set up a blanket and telescope on the roof of his house, along with pencils and paper, so he could document the event. What he hadn't expected was for the meteor to actually _enter the atmosphere_ and crash right next to his house. After recovering from the initial shock of it, he had climbed down from the roof and to the front of the house, where the pit was.

Steam was still curling off of it, suggesting that it had rocketed into the atmosphere at extremely high speeds. He could make out the shape of the rock in the steam, but he didn't think it would be wise to go near it. The meteor could be composed of highly combustible materials or metals, and just been waiting for a change to explode. It wouldn't be wise to go near it, not without something to protect himself-

A squeal cut through the air, shocking Ford of his thoughts. "He-Hello?" he called out. "Is someone here?" The only response was more squealing, along with a clicking noise. It sounded as though it was coming from the meteor. Curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped into the pit surrounded the rock, waving the steam away.

He got his second shock of the night when the air cleared away. A creature was perched on top of the meteor. It had a body similar to most bug larva, save for its unusual size and dark red coloring. The head of it, however, looked like a human child's head. Its skin was gray, and yellow horns striped with orange stuck up out of its black hair. The creature had a golden sclera and black pupils, contributing to its otherworldly appearance.

Ford was so not prepared for this. "Uh, can you understand me?"

The creature chirped at him and appeared to nod "yes."

"Well." Ford leaned back and scratched the back of his head. "Do you want to go inside?"

Another chirp, followed by a nod. He carefully reached his hands out to pick up the creature, nearly jerking back when it decided to crawl up his arm. It nestled itself on his shoulder, seemingly content to rest there. Ford swallowed down the urge to shake it off, and instead headed inside his house.

By the time he had gotten inside, the creature had fallen asleep. Its eyes were closed and its breath whooshed rhythmically out of its mouth. Ford wasn't sure what to do with it, so he rummaged around in his room until he found an old box and a blanket to put in it. Once he had finished it, he carefully lifted the creature off of his shoulder, careful not to jostle it awake. Fortunately, it remained asleep, and he gently set the box on top of his dresser.

Then the realization that he had just taken an alien creature into his home hit Ford. He slapped a hand over his mouth as he tried not to scream.

* * *

 

The next morning, Ford was awoken by something scuttling on his face. He woke up with a start, thrashing his arms around. "Get off of me!" A breathy chirping sound answered him, and the events of the night before crashed into his mind. He brought his hands up to his face and pried its current occupant off.

The creature squealed, wriggling in his grasp, but made no attempt to get out. It beamed at him, showing a mouth filled with flat teeth similar to a sheep's.

Ford blinked. "Oh. Good morning, little one. Are you hungry?"

The creature nodded at him. Ford got out of his bed and made his way to the kitchen, still holding the creature in his hands. It surprised him how docile it was, how content it was with being hold, like a human baby.

"I don't know what you eat, but I may have something in the fridge or pantry for you." Ford set the creature down on the table next to the ferns he had been studying the past two weeks, before turning to rifle through his pantry. "I'm starting to suspect that you're equivalent to a human baby. I don't have any milk, but maybe something mushy will do. I could puree some-"

A crunching sound made him turn around. The creature had ripped off part of a fern and was happily chewing away on it. Ford tried not to scream at the fact that he would have to restart his experiment.

"Okay, yeah. Plants. You like plants. That'll do."

* * *

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ford and his new housemate settled into a sort of routine. He would be woken up every morning by the creature and set up breakfast for both of them, then he would get to work while keeping an eye on it. Sometimes he brought it along in his bag when he explored the forest, or tucked it in a pocket on his coat (Well, he couldn't just _leave_ it behind.) The creature seemed to enjoy these outings, squeaking happily whenever they went out. It was nice to have a companion, even if it wasn't the one he had dreamed of exploring the world with (It was too late for that).

But the past few days, something had seemed...off. The creature was sleeping more and more, and when it was awake it was grumpy and only seemed to want to eat. Ford didn't know what was going on, so he tried to keep things as normal as possible.

One morning, he woke up to silence. Since its arrival, the creature had made noise loud enough to wake Ford every morning. The new silence was unsettling. Had it left?

"Hello? Are you there, little one?" Ford stepped out of his bedroom into the kitchen. "Is everything al-my God!"

A gelatinous red structure was hanging upside down from the ceiling in the kitchen. It looked like an over-sized caterpillar cocoon, and it wiggled softly, as if it were being pushed by a breeze. If Ford hadn't already known that the creature's species was bug-based, the fact that the cocoon was the same color as the creature's body would've been a dead giveaway.

"You're pupating," Ford murmured. He reached out a hand to touch the cocoon, but stopped himself. He didn't know if that could interfere with the process the creature was going through. "Alright. I can wait, little one."

* * *

 

Nine days later, the cocoon was still hanging from the ceiling. Ford was telling himself not to worry, that it could be completely natural for this to happen, but worry still stabbed at him. He felt some sort of connection to this little creature that had crashed into his life, something that made him want to protect it. So he kept a careful eye on the cocoon, noting any changes.

On the tenth day, the cocoon started wriggling much more than usual. Ford stayed home that day. He tried to work on some notes, but he couldn't concentrate. He always found himself staring at the cocoon. Notes abandoned, he turned his full attention to it.

After an hour or so, the cocoon went deathly still. Ford's breath caught in his throat. Had the creature not finished? Had it...

The bottom of the cocoon split open with a disgusting squelch, and he had never felt so relieved to see the familiar head of his strange creature. He stood up and carefully pried it out of the remains of its cocoon. The creature stirred and opened an eye. "Nn..."

"Hello. Did you have a good sleep?"

It gave him a familiar toothy grin. "Hewwo!"

Scratch that. It was a she.

* * *

 

After washing the remaining goo off the creature and getting her in one of his old shirts, he was able to fully realize how much the creature had changed.

She was much bigger now, about the size of a human two-year-old, and her previous body had been replaced with one much more humanoid. Two slits ran along her torso on either side, which he assumed marked the places where her previous legs had been. Her skin and eyes were the same color as before. Her horns had grown in size, and her hair brushed her shoulders.

The girl-he couldn't call her a creature anymore, not even in his head-hummed and swung her legs idly as he scribbled down notes in his journal. She threw curious glances around the room, drinking in everything, but her eyes always came back to Ford. The constant scrutiny didn't really bother him. He was the only other living being in the house, after all.

Finally, she slipped off the chair and tugged on his arm. Ford closed his book and turned to face her. "Yes?"

She pointed at him.

"Do you need something?"

She kept pointing.

"My glasses?"

A mild look of interest crossed over her face, but she grunted and pointed again, with more force.

Finally, understanding dawned on him. "My name?"

The girl nodded. "Name! Name!"

"I'm Stanford Pines, but you can call me Ford."

"F-Fo-" The girl stumbled over the letters. "Fo-Ford! Ford?"

"Yes, that's my name."

"Ford!" she cheered, clapping her hands. "Ford-Ford-Ford!"

Ford chuckled. "Don't wear it out."

She pointed at herself.

"Oh? Your name?"

She nodded.

"Uh..." He hadn't come up with a name to call her bye. He had usually referred to her as "creature" in his head and notes. His eyes searched the room, before landing on a stack of books he had gathered about witchcraft. On top of them laid a copy of _Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches_. "Aradia?"

"A-ra-di-a?" the girl sounded out. Ford nodded. "Ara-di-a. Ara-dia. Aradia. Aradia! Aradia!"

"That's it!" Ford clapped his hands. "You did it!"

"Aradia!" Aradia pointed at herself, then pointed back at Ford. "Aradia and Ford?"

"Aradia and Ford!" he replied, before starting at what he had said.

"Aradia and Ford!" She wrapped her arms around his leg, beaming up at him. "Aradia and Ford!" And oh, Ford couldn't deny such a precious face. He picked Aradia up and spun her around, sending her into a fit of giggles. It felt right, like they were meant to have this connection. And he treasured it.

* * *

 

Over the next two weeks, Ford and Aradia grew closer. He taught her the words of almost everything in the house, and started reading some of his more tame books to her. She was a fast learner, and soon enough she was talking in almost complete sentences.

Then, everything changed.

"Good evening, Mr. Pines."

"Son of a-" Ford jumped, clutching his chest. He whirled around in his desk chair to face the intruder. "Who are-" The words died in his throat as he took in the stranger's appearance.

The man standing before him was dressed in an impeccably white suit, accented with a green collared shirt and bow tie. Where his head should have been, however, was a glassy white ball, looking suspiciously similar to a cue ball. He stepped further into Ford's office.

"I believe that I did not interrupt anything important. Let me introduce myself: I am Doc Scratch." The man's voice was smooth, with a faint echo that made him sound otherworldly. "I do not have much time, so let me get right to the point: Your charge does not belong here."

"Aradia?" Ford scratched his head. "I mean, she's not human, but I don't think the government gives visas to literal aliens."

"This isn't about your human government and its laws, this is about the laws of the universe. When Aradia and her fellow players were created, there was a slight...error made when her destination was inputted. She landed in her exact spot, but on the wrong planet and time."

"Her fellow...what now?"

Doc Scratch waved him off. "That doesn't concern you. This timeline was fortunate enough to not have the game be inputted into it. However, Aradia is an essential part of her own timeline, which is why she cannot stay here any longer."

Ford's head was reeling, but he managed to understand what the man was saying. "You-You're taking her away?"

"Precisely. She's only been here so long because it took me ages to track her down. Now she needs to go home, where her real guardian awaits. I suppose you did a good job taking care of her for a human, but she belongs with the other trolls."

"Ford?"

Both of the men turned to face Aradia in the doorway. She was dressed in an old shirt Ford had found with a strange red symbol on it, and a makeshift skirt he had made out of gray fabric. "A stranger!" she announced, pointing at Doc Scratch. "Ford, a stranger!"

"Hello, darling." In a flash, Doc Scratch had moved from in front of Ford to Aradia's side. He grabbed her arm. "Time to go home!"

"No!" Aradia fought to get out of his grasp, reaching out for Ford. "Help! Ford! Ford!"

"You're hurting her! Let her go!" Ford shouted, marching over to them.

A crackle of lightning danced around Doc Scratch and Aradia, and the shining white ball seemed to smirk at him. Aradia continued to scream.

"Ford! _Ford! DADDY!_ "

In a flash of white, they were gone. Ford crumpled to his knees, feeling tears slide down his face.

* * *

 

Before he entered the portal, Ford's last thought was _Maybe I'll find Aradia out there._

* * *

 

"Stop moping, Megido!"

Aradia jumped at Vriska's voice. "Sorry, sorry, I just-"

"Yeah, yeah, you were thinking of that weird dream you had when you were a grub. Time's a-wasting! The sun will be up in a few hours, people!" She stomped ahead, and the rest of the group scrambled to follow.

Tavros fell into step by Aradia. "Hey, you alright? I know Vriska is kind of harsh."

"I am, Tav, it's just..." She sighed. "Sometimes, I think it's not a dream. That it really happened! But nobody believes me."

"Well, I do."

Aradia blinked at her companion. "Yeah?"

"It's pretty, uh, detailed for a dream. I don't think dreams are usually so detailed. But whatever it is, I hope you figure it out someday."

She smiled. "Thanks, Tavros. You're a real friend."

"Team Charge has got to stick together."

"Of course!"

* * *

 

The moment she awoke, knowledge coursed through her body.

She knew time. She controlled time. She guided time, directed time. She _was_ time.

A thousand timelines flooded her thinkpan. Doomed, incomplete, complete-all of them. She saw new worlds, bloody wars, planets and stars die and come to life in the same breath. She saw trolls, humans, cherubs, carapaces-all of the species to ever exist in the universe. They all zoomed through her head, until they halted to a stop on one person.

Her eyes flew open, and she gasped out one word.

" _Ford_."

* * *

 

"This way!" Aradia yelled, struggling against the wind. The rift in space and time was blowing back with an incredible force. "This is where the timelines meet!"

"AA, you're fucking nuts!" Sollux screeched back. One of his eyepatches had been blown off by the winds, lost in the sea of debris. "What makes you think this'll work?"

"Trust me!"

"Oh, like _that_ hasn't gotten me in trouble before."

"God, Sollux, just-please! I need to do this!"

Sollux sighed. "Alright, fine. How close are we?"

"Just a few more feet! Almost there!" The winds broke for a moment, and Aradia zoomed forward, bloodpusher thumping. The break in winds meant the rift would start closing.

"What do we do?"

"This!" With all of her might, Aradia threw Sollux at the rift. He slipped into it, screaming as he went. Aradia dove in after him, just before it closed.

* * *

 

Someone knocked on the door. "Hey, Sixer, can you get that?" Stan yelled from upstairs. "We're trying to close Mabel's trunk up here. If it's a tourist, tell 'em to scram!"

"Okay, drop the bowling ball on it."

Ford rolled his eyes at his family's antics. He loved them all, Stan especially, but they had a knack for doing reckless things. Then again, he was hardly much better. Sighing fondly, he walked out of the kitchen and to the front door, opening it. "Sorry, the Mystery Shack is not-" He stopped speaking when he saw who stood before him.

"Ford?" It was Aradia. She was much bigger now, almost as tall as he was. Her horns had grown out, and she now wore beautiful wings. The old clothes he had last seen her in were gone, replaced with a gorgeous red tunic. "Hi."

"Is it-is it you?" Ford stammered, leaning against the doorway to keep himself from falling over. "Aradia?"

"You remembered me!"

Ford found himself wrapped up in a huge hug, and he made a sound that was between a sob and a laugh and returned the gesture. She was back. Aradia was back. Aradia was home.

"Jeez, I can almost _see_ the sappy reunion happy in front of me."

Ford broke the hug to stare at the new voice. It was a boy who obviously belonged to the same species as Aradia, save for a few differences. He wore normal clothes with a yellow numeral two printed on the shirt, and his horns were pointed and in pairs of two. One red eyepatch covered up his right eye, leaving the other black and deadened.

"Be nice!" Aradia scolded. "Ford, this is Sollux. He's one of my friends. Sollux, Ford is the man who raised me on Earth!"

Ford collected himself. "Nice to meet you, young man. I trust you're a good friend of Aradia's?"

"I guess you could say that. If throwing people into rifts counts as friendship, then yeah."

"Rifts?" Ford frowned.

"Oh, it's no big deal," Aradia said. "Just space-time rifts."

"Space-what now?"

"Grunkle Ford, I-wow! Who are they?"

Ford whirled around. Mabel and Dipper stood at the bottom of the stairs, Stan behind them. All three of them stared at Aradia and Sollux in shock.

"Oh, hello! I'm Aradia, and-"

Stan barreled through the twins and grabbed the bat off of the floor. "Get away from my brother, you demons!" he growled.

"Stan, wait!" Ford reached out to stop him. "It's not!"

A red circle of light appeared around Stan, freezing him in place. White symbols flashed at the edges of the circle. Dipper squawked. "What happened to Grunkle Stan?"

"Sorry, it'll go away in a second," Aradia apologized, lowering her hands. "I did that on instinct."

Ford blinked at her. "How did you learn to do that?"

"It's a pretty long story." She smiled her familiar grin at him. "May we come in?"

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, thanks for reading!  
> I based this on a post my friend Matt made a long time ago about an AU where Ford raises Aradia. You can find it here: http://gaydrienagreste.tumblr.com/post/138729697994/what-if-aradia-crossed-over-into-the-gf-universe  
> I've written another work for Aradia Week, which is the second work in this series. Feel free to read it as well!  
> My tumblr is gaydrienagreste  
> I hope you enjoyed this!


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